Thanksgiving 2011

While overseas the Wendling family had the opportunity to share in the Thanksgiving traditions of many different cultures:

Chuseok - from our Korean friends
Moon cake festival - from Hong Kong
American Thanksgiving - from the US (complete with Pecan pie and American Football)

While still have Canadian Thanksgiving celebration with our compatriots at GSIS.

However, this current fall the Wendling family has had the opportunity to catch up with many past traditions of Thanksgiving by:

- going to the pumpkin patch

- having Thanksgiving lunch with the Wendling family

- having Thanksgiving supper with the Lafontaine family

As you can see by the photos there was much time to celebrate and be thankful for the opportunity to be with family, to celebrate the fall colours - pumpkins - corn stalks and catch our collective breaths with a holiday.  (We also went to the So You Think You Can Dance concert but that is another blog for another time.)

Although we are at home, during this past week and weekend many of the girls have taken the time to reconnect with Korean friends with emails and google chats.  To be honest, Rosanne and Kevin have thought of our friends from Land of the Morning Sun and hope all is well with them.  We know that GSIS is a busy place with much activity so we send all our best.

Both Rosanne and Kevin continue to adjust to our new placements.  Much has occurred with both of them.  Although we have only been away for 3 years - much change can occur in that time.  However, over time, things will hopefully get easier.

Well, this "break" is almost over until Christmas stay tuned for more on the family and our Korean-Canadian Adventures.

So You Think You Can Dance - Tour

  During the past three summers the Wendling family has spent Wednesday and Thursday night watching So You Think You Can Dance on TV.  Since all 5 girls dance there was a interest in the people, music and dance which the show brought to North American and World Wide audiences.

This year with the family remaining in Canada the girls asked if they could see the Tour show that came to Toronto on Sunday, October 9th at the Air Canada Center.  

So we packed into the van and away we went to watch 2 hours of creative, high energy and highly entertaining dance with the "top 10 dancers" from the show.

After the show the girls, with approximately 500 hundred other people, had the chance to "meet and greet" with their favourite dancers.  This was truly a treat for the girls as they were able to spend a few short moments with people that truly were able to live their dream.  

In fact, all the dancers we extremely friendly and gracious and took time to sign autographs and take numerous pictures not just with us -- but with the many fans who stayed around for over 1 hour after the show ended.

How refreshing it was -- so a big thank has to go to the dancers who truly made my family's night!!

A little time for CHAOS Hockey

During our time in Korea Matteya had the opportunity to continue to play ice hockey - for 3 years.  Ice hockey is definitely a Canadian passion and a big part of both the Lafontaine and Wendling families.  (Having both Grandfather's and one uncle play Junior A hockey and many uncles, cousins who play - to be honest what family has their own hockey jerseys?)

Upon returning from Korea Matteya tried out for and made the St. Catharines CHAOS B team - that is a travel team based in St. Catharines.  This was a great opportunity for her, as well as playing a sport she loves she also gets to play with her cousin Mikayla (pictured above).  After a summer of taking hundreds of shots, playing in a summer league and trying to keep in shape Matteya was ready for action.

After a few exhibition games and one tournament Matteya is fairing very well as a left winger with 3 goals and two assists.  She was even named MYP of one of the tournament games.

Beginning Tuesday the "regular season" will begin with a game against Brantford, three other tournaments (St. Catharines, Erie and Norfolk), before playoffs beginning in the new year.

However, it will be challenging as she will play 2 or 3 games a week with 1 or 2 practices to go along with it.  That being said, Matteya is enjoying her time in travel hockey.

You can follow Matteya's team at:  CHAOS Peewee B Team

A Busy Summer of 2011

 With only a few weeks left before school beginning the Wendling family has been busy with a number of different activities:

- soccer (every night of the week)
- hockey for Matteya
- basketball and volleyball camps - which started this week and will continue for the next three weeks
- various music lessons
- Justine taking a summer course at Jean Vanier
- Laff Olympics
- Kevin canoeing in Algonquin park with uncles and nephews

However, as days start to get shorter and the nights get cooler, one can feel Fall just around the corner.  In some ways this summer as been great with fantastic weather in July and lots of time for us to connect with family and friends.  

Yet, three months of summer vacation is far different then what we are use to as well as wanted to move onto the next transition which included the four girls back to Ecole St. Joseph -- Justine to Ecole Jean Vanier -- Rosanne to Niagara Falls and St. Antoine --- Kevin to Brantford and St. Mary.

3 Birthdays and 3 Graduations

It has been over a month since our last post and much has occurred here in Port Colborne.  June and July have always been transition months for the Wendling Family and our return from Korea did not change this.

So what have the Wendling's been doing for the past 6 weeks....simply put....3 Birthdays and 3 Graduations.  From June 6th to July 1st there have been 3 birthdays - Rosanne June 6th - Matteya June 15th - Mia July 1st.


To Rosanne being back in Port Colborne was the best birthday present for her - however, she also wanted an new ATV for the family as we explore our new property.  Rosanne still has not had a chance to ride the machine, but the girls, in particular Kyara, have enjoyed the chance to hit the back country with it.


For Matteya's birthday the family stayed pretty low keyed by just celebrating with the family and having Dairy Queen ice cream cake.

For Mia's birthday the family went to mon oncle Paul's house where the family celebrated both Mia's birthday and Canada Day.  The day was beautiful as family got together to talk, swim, sit by the pool and have a BBQ.  

The night ended with fire works that were OK -- to be honest the group across the street did a better job then Kevin did with the fireworks but at least we could watch them.

The end of June also saw 3 Graduations.  The first graduation saw Mia graduate from Kindergarten.  To be honest Kindergarten Graduation was a very small affair lasting an hour long and featuring a number of songs that the students had learned during the school year.

The second graduation was Grade 8 Graduation for Justine.  Although she was only at school for 3 weeks -- and was a  graduate from Middle School at GSIS she was also able to graduate with her class that she spent 7 years with,  JK - Grade 5.  

Since returning to Canada Justine has been able to renew many of her friendship by playing soccer, retuning to school, going on the school year end trip to Quebec City and taking a pre-High School Course at Jean Vanier High School.  However, Justine still misses her friends in Korea.

The third graduation was for Rosanne's nephew - Justin.  Justin attended Jean Vanier High School in Welland, the same school Justine will attend this fall.  

Justin graduated with his parents, god-Father, and many of his aunts, uncles and cousins present.  Truly a great night for the Lafontaine family.
  

And so June has ended and July has begun and the Wendling family continues to adjust to life in Canada as they look at building a house, buying a car and trying to reintegrate back to life in Port Colborne.  We are all safe and well and enjoying our time together.

Last Post From Korea

In a few days I will fly home to Canada and leave Korea, probably for the final time.  Rosanne and the girls have already left and are sitting by the pool in Port Colborne...the packing is all but done...and the movers took 23 boxes which have begun the long journey back to Canada.

It is hard to believe that 3 years has gone by so quickly...but it has.  Three years of building a High School, of creating a Middle School Sport Program, of watching our children grow and learn.  Three years of traveling all of Asia -- to China, Japan, Thailand, India, Malaysia -- of seeing 1st World Countries -- developing nations -- and poverty.  These experiences will forever be a part of the Wendling Family's understanding of the world and how diverse, yet similar it is.  

Within this blog I have including pictures of many of our trips and activities that have occurred during these 3 years.  Of watching Mia leave diapers and participate in Kindergarten...of seeing Ariel learning to read, write and do Math...of watching Matteya play hockey -- dance -- and become fluent in a third language...to observe Kyara move into Middle School and develop a personality and to grow taller than her mother...and finally, to watch Justine grow and mature and become ready for High School.  This truly has been a great adventure....one I would not have wanted to miss.


What is next....

for Rosanne...it is back to the French Language Catholic system...CSDCCS (I think)...at this point in Niagara Falls...but this could change.  To the challenge of remembering the Ontario system and conversing daily in her first language.  Of adjusting to life in Canada and the realization that almost everything in our world is not a 2 minute walk away.

for Kevin... after a number of possibilities -- discussions -- and waiting for direction from God it seems like it is time to begin working with the Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB)...to new challenges and the opportunity to grow in a new school board.  Although the drive will be long and there will be no Mia and Ariel invading the office at the end of the school day...still it feels right...like coming to Korea 3 years ago.

In all, God has once again guided the Wendling Family.  So it is time for a new adventure.

To all who we have come to meet during our time in Asia...thank you.  Thank you for sharing your time, your expertise and your friendship with us.  You will be missed, all of you.


To those who we are coming home to...ready or not here we come...a time for new adventures...so...stay tuned.

Saying Goodbye to Korea

As any school year ends there is always much activity:  year end trips, exams, end of the year concerts, play day, graduation (for Grade 8 and Grade 12); this is part of the life of a school.


For an International Schools, like GSIS, End of the Year takes on an additional meaning as many staff leave to either return to their own country or take on a new challenge in a new country.


Over the past month the Wendling Family has been involved with the End of Year Activities and with saying good bye to the GSIS community.

Almost 3 years ago the Wendling family arrived in Korea with 14 suitcases and lot of energy and not knowing what to expect from a school and country which was foreign to them.  During this time a lot of growth has occurred - Mia doesn't wear diapers anymore - Justine has moved through Middle School and we be starting high school at Ecole Secondaire Jean Vanier in the Fall - Kyara has grown to be not just taller than me mere but Rosanne as well - Matteya has learned so much Korean that she can converse with her friends and Ariel is an expert with technology using google products and facebook regularly.  Finally, Rosanne and Kevin have now experienced and international education setting in an IB World School.  Which has been both exciting and challenging.  

Saying goodbye to Korea started at the beginning of May when Ariel accompanied Kevin back to Canada.  It was decided that she would stay with me mere so that she would prepare for her First Communion which will take place at the beginning of June.

So Ariel needed to say goodbye to her classmates and then pack up her two bags and head back to Port Colborne - much to the surprise of me mere.  Well, Happy Mother's Day to you me mere.


During the past month the girls have been involved with:
- the end of the year Elementary talent show - where Matteya and Mia performed

- the Middle School Concert - where both Kyara and Justine performed with their Choir and Band Groups and sang a duet - "For Good" - taken from the musical Wicked

- Grade 8 Graduation - Justine when she leaves GSIS will have Graduated from middle school and will have celebrated this event with the community

- Grade 5 Graduation - Matteya when she leaves GSIS will have finished elementary school and if we stayed would be in Grade 6 - middle school


For Rosanne and Kevin the last month has been a time to be with the kids for these activities as well as being honoured at the Farewell Banquet held at the school.  Both Rosanne and Kevin have been leaders at the school during the past three years.  Rosanne as Middle School Athletic Director and CAS Coordinator and Kevin as HS Principal - in these roles they have been able to help shape the present and future of the school, which has been a once in a lifetime experience.

In all, the Wendling family has been very grateful for the GSIS community for the administration, teaching staff and classified staff who have supported our family.  Living internationally can be quite difficult - however, withe support of Helen, Andrew, Julia and all the classified, aka:  Korean staff, at GSIS life was made a lot easier.


So we will soon be home...with lots of changes and Rosanne at a new school and Kevin with a new school board.  The Korean Adventure will have to be renamed...but it will be an adventure with 5 kids and new experiences on the horizon.


God has been with us during our 3 years and we await the path which has been chosen for us.  See you soon.